Mop



Feb. 5, 1935. E. P. GRADINGER 1,989,978

MOP

Filed Nov. 20, 1933 I A", INVENTOR f/m/ P 6r007/7yer 5 ATTRNEY Patented Feb. 5, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application November 20, 1933, Serial No. 698,795

5 a mop of this character wherein the hood is readily applied and securely retained on the fixture with the minimum amount of efiort on. the part of the user.

Other important objects of the invention are to provide a sectionally hinged fixture which is spring torsioned when collapsed to apply the hood and which is automatically extended by torsion of the spring after the hood has been applied, and to provide stop engagement of the hinged sections when in extended condition for cooperating with the spring in retainingthe hood. in taut condition on the fixture.

In accomplishing these and other objects the invention, 1 have provided improved details oi structure, the preferred form oi which isillustrated in the accompanying. drawing, wherein;

Fig. 1 is aperspective view of a mop embodying the features of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the mop Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the application of the mop'hood. to the fixture.

Fig. 4 is a detail plan view of the fixture illustrating a portion of the handle in section. to betterillustrate the fixture connection with. the mop handle.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view through the mop fixture on the line 5-5, Fig.4.

1 Referring. more in detail to the drawing:

. 1. designates a mop fixture including a hood supporting frame 2, a. handle yoke 3 and a handle 4. The hood supporting frame includes heel and toe-sections 5 and 6 that are hingedly connected together by the yoke 3 so that the frame may be collapsedfor insertion into the mop hood, as hereinafter described.

The sections 5 and 6 are preferably formed. or round spring wire material bent to substantially U-shape. The .heel section S'includes a slightly curved intermediate portion 7 and forwardly converging side bar portions 8 and 9 conforming in width and length to the rear portion 01 the hood. The side bar portions 8- and 9 are provided with inset portions 10 and 10' terminating in a plu rality of tightly wound coils 11 and 12 to form hinge members 13 and 14, the ends or the inner coils being squared to provide abutment or stop shoulders 15 and 16'.

The'toe section has a more round shorter intermediate portion 17 and rearwardly diverging side bar portions 18 and 19 aligning. with the sim-ilar side bar portions 8 and 9 of the heel section. I

The ends of the side bar portions 18 and 19 are rcversely curved, as at 20 and 21, to terminate in tightly wound coils 22 toform hinge members 23 and 24 similar to the hinging members on the heel section previously described.

The ends of the terminal. coilsare squared on. similar to the ends of the inner coils of the hinge members 13 and 14 to form stop shoulders 25 and 26 engaging the stop shoulders 15' and 16 respectively.

The yoke 3 is also formed of wire material and includes a bar portionv 2'7 extending axially through the coils of hinged members 13, 14 and 23, 24 for hinging the heel and toe sections together, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The yoke also includes laterally extending side bar portions 28 and 29 bearing against the outer coils of the hinged members l3, 14- to prevent outward lateral movement thereof that might be caused by the pitch oi the coil winding when the sections are hinged relatively to each'other. The side bar portions 28 and 29 terminate in inwardly and upwardly converging arms 30'and 31 having parallel handle attaching portions 32 and 33 provided with. inwardly bent ends 34 and. 35, as shown in Fig.4.

The handle 4 preferably consists of a wooden rod having diametrically spaced longitudinal grooves 36 at the end thereof .for accommodating the attaching portions 32 and 33 of the yoke member and a transverse opening 37 at the upper ends oi! the grooves. to receive the ends 34 and 35.v

The portions 32 and 33 are retained in the grooves or the handle and the ends 34 and in the opening 37 by a sliding ferrule 38 that is adapted to be slid-tightly over the arms of the yoke, as shown in Fig. 4. v

In order to normally retain the heel and toe sections in alignment with eachother and the stop shoulders 26 against the shoulders 16', the bar portion intermediate the hinged members is provided with a coil spring 39* having its ends bearagainst the inner coils of the inner hinge members and provided with arms 40 and.v 41 having hooks 42 and. 43 to respectively engage the opposite arms of the heel and toe sections at points adjacent the shoulders 10 and curved portions 21, respectively,

In the construction thus far described, the spring 39 is torsioned prior to its application on the bar portion or the yoke so that the toe and heel portions are retained. in alignment and with the shoulders 15-16 and 25--26 at the terminal ends of the coils in abutting relation in order that the frame sections are retained in parallel relation to the plane of the surface being mopped.

The mop hood is shown to include upper and lower fabric sections :3 and is shaped to coniorm to the mop and which are stitched together about the periphery thereof, as at 45, to secure the sections together. The lowerlayer o -iabric carries the usual mop fringe 16 and th .pl eriayer of fabric is provided with a slot 47 to provide entrance for the sections of the fixture into the pockets 48 and is of the hood.- The slot 47 is shaped to provide parallel side edges 50 apart a sufficient distance nt rinediate to freely pass the mop hinge portion of the fixtur a suficent distance .1e like, against which it may come in contact; avhenithei? to prevent its to nture and" mop is being used. v

In applying a mop hood 'to=.5the frame constructed and assembled as described, the hood'is' doubled back uponitseligas' shown in Fig.8, to expose the pockets 4'8 and 49 'thronghtheslot '47. The toe and heel section sof the 'niopframe are then pivoted towardeach other on-the of the yoke member so that the ends may be projected into the poclrets ,air-clearly shown in Fig. 3. Upon hingin movement'- by the frame sections, the coil spring 39 is to'rsioned -by 1 tightening the winding thereof due tothe connectionof its ends with the respective sections. The spring is also placed under compression by hinge members 23 and 24 moving away from the-hinge members is and l i, this ca-mmin actionfibel pitch of the'coils forming the hinge members. After the frame 'seetionsihavefbee inserted in the pockets; they are released andlthetorsion -in the spring returns the sections into-alignment with each other, therebyiextending 'the mop tightly between sincethe torwai'd' and rear curved portions oithe section wedge tightly into the ends of the pockets, as shown in Fig. 1. t The expansion of the spring: lsoreturns the inner hinge'membrs'23 and a sists stopping en-' gagement with thelouter hingamembers soithat when the sections are iniextended 'condi'ti'on,=.'the stop shoulders cooperate with the spring 'tolpre vent hinging movement oftheisectionsx f The slight tension of:thetframe-sections tends to retain the shape i-there'o'feand" prevent them from being bent when the mop-is being: shaken free of dust or other material coll cted thereby To removethe hood,thehood-maysbe simply grasped by the fringe andsaipiiliing forceexerited on the han'dle-which'causes thetframe sections to slip from the slot 47;; J '1: 2 :1: i From the vforegoing, it is apparent t-lrata'have provided an improved mop fixture'onsvrhichithe hood is, readily applied andwhich retainsthe hood in taut condition while the mopris heinglusedl 1 What'I claimand desireito," ecurefbyflLetters Pallentisi K Y j; 1. A mop ihtureincluding heel and=toepsec+ tions, cam shaped hinge members on the sectionsj hinging means extending through "said. hing-ing members for securingtheisectionsvtogethen a coil spring on the hingingzn ans having its; endsen gaging against the hinge members :on :one of said sections to normallg re ain said hingeniembers in cammiing relation with the hinge mein" ersiof'ithe other. section and having hooked shapedportions engaging the. espective sectionswivhereby" the spring is compressed bycdniming actibn-rcf the cam members and torsione'd i-ncidental tohinging ea ers 7 oth r g-caused by" e' stops on the coiled portions of the toe section maily engaging the stops on the coiled porthe heel section for retaining the sectinoyement in one direction, a pivot rtendingzthrough said coiled portions gingl' securing the sections together, a

ioc'k' pe'd' ends connected with the respective gseetiens: to .vtorsion said spring incidental to hingrnov 'nent of the sections in the other directio "an for-"returning sections into-stopping engage nent' witli each other incidental to stored torsion 'oi the-spring. I Y I Ak'm'opfixture includingheel aridtoe sectionshavi ng compleirienta'rycam shaped hinging portions, a yoke member-having abar portion extendingthrough said hinge portions of the sections and hav'mg laterally bent end portions engagin the hingeporti'oris of one of the sections to prevent lateral-{movement of-s'aid hinged port s on the bar portion of the'yoka-a spring about said -barportion of the yoke and saving ends engaging-thehingeportions of the and hooks onzthe ends of the spring 'ged: with the respective sections, whereby the lngis comprssed by 'camming action of the hinge portions and torsioned incidental'to hing- 'lilOVGll'lEllfi-bf the sections and whereby the sectionsare retu ned into alignment with each other incidental to stored torsion'in the-spring; stop means on. the hinged portions movable into topping engagement' 'bythe spring for retaining the sections inialign'ed condition againsttor sion otthe springf I n mop fixture includingheel and toe sect'ions comprising substantially U-shaped wire loops having coiled end portions terminating in tcpsl-a yolremember having a bar portion extending through said hinged members and having end portions engaging the coiled portions on one section 'to' ipreveri't outward lateral movement thereof on the bar portion, a spring sleeved on the har-po tion and having ends'bearing against the coiled portionsoi-"the other section to resilientlyretain theterminal ends or" said hinge members in'abutting-relation when the sections are in alignment with eachfother, and-hook shaped ends on thespring' engagmg the respective sections for effecting.zto1si0riing of the spring incidental to hinging movement of the sections and for movin the sections into alignment with each other incidentalito stored-torsion of the spring. 5.A mop fixture includinga pair of substantiallyiu -shapedlwire loop members having coiled end portions to form hinge members, a yoke member having abar portion extending throughsaid hinge m mhersand having end portions engaging theshinge members on one of said loop members to prevent; outward lateralmovement f thereof on -i'e bar portion, a coil spring sleeved on the bar portion land having :ends bearing against the hinge members of the other loop'member to resiliently retain the terminal endsof said hinge memhere in abutting relation when the loop-members are .-ini;.alignment with each oth'er and hook shaped ends on the spring engaging the respective sections for efiecting torsioning of the spring incidental to hingi'ng movement of the loop members and for moving the loop members into alignment with each other incidental to stored torsion of the spring.

6. A mop fixture including heel and toe sections, intere-ngaging cam shaped hinge members on the sections, hinging means extending through said hinge members for securing the sections together, a coil spring on the hinging means having its ends engaging against the hinge members on one of said sections and having hooked shaped portions engaging the respective sections whereby the spring is compressed by camming action of the cam shaped hinge member on one section engaging the cam shaped hingemember on the other section and torsioned incidentalto hinging movement of the sections, and stop means on the cam shaped hinge members for normally retaining the sections in alignment with each other against torsion of the spring.

7. A mop fixture including substantially U- shaped sections having coiled end portions to form hinging members, a yoke member having a bar portion extending through said hinged members and having end portions engaging the hinged members on one section to prevent outward lateral movement thereof on the bar portion, a spring sleeved on the bar portion and having ends bearing against thehinged members of the other section to resiliently retain the terminal ends of said hinge members in abutting relation when the sections are in alignment with each other, and hook shaped ends on the spring engaging the respective sections for effecting torsioning of the spring incidental to hinging movement of the sections.

EMIL P. GRADINGEB. 

